Category: 3-LawSometimeCommentary

The 2016 Supreme Court term gets underway next week, but don’t get too excited. Eager to avoid any more 4-4 split decisions, the eight remaining justices have cobbled together a caseload that steers clear of the big social questions that defined the court’s past two terms. SCOTUSblog founder and publisher Tom Goldstein joins us for our annual survey of what’s ahead. 

We also speak with former federal judge Shira Scheindlin. In 2013, she ruled that stop-and-frisk tactics were being used unconstitutionally by the NYPD. Because of that ruling, she was accused this week by Donald Trump of being “very against police.” 

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October 4th will mark the first day of oral arguments for the 2016 Supreme Court term. The Court's docket already includes major cases involving insider trading, the Fourth Amendment, the Sixth Amendment, the Eighth Amendment, criminal law, IP and patent law, the Free Exercise and Equal Protection Clauses, the Fair Housing Act, and voting rights. -- The full list of cases granted thus far for the upcoming term can be viewed on SCOTUSblog here. The panelists will also discuss the current composition and the future of the Court. -- This event was held on September 27, 2016, at the National Press Club in Washington, DC. -- Featuring: Mr. Thomas C. Goldstein, Goldstein & Russell PC; Prof. Nicholas Quinn Rosenkranz, Georgetown Law Center; Ms. Carrie Severino, Judicial Crisis Network; and Hon. George J. Terwilliger, McGuireWoods LLP. Moderator: Mr. Robert Barnes, The Washington Post.

In this episode, we try something a little bit different.  Instead of simply analyzing a case, we let you play the role of Supreme Court Justice working your way through a difficult case that is currently pending before the Court:  Trinity Lutheran Church of Columbia, Inc. v. Pauley. You’ll learn what kind of cases make their … Continue reading OA14: You Be The Supreme Court, Part 1 →

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In this episode, we delve — at long last, and just in time for the first Presidential debate — into the question of Democratic Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton’s use of a private email server during her tenure as Secretary of State. In particular, we answer the question:  “did Hillary Clinton receive preferential treatment” when the … Continue reading OA13: Hillary Clinton’s Damned Emails! →

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In this episode, we delve into the wacky world of tax protesters and “sovereign citizens,” people who believe that the legal world is a magical place filled with secret code words that, if invoked properly, can force the Illuminati-run courts to admit you into the secret chamber where nobody has to pay their taxes or … Continue reading OA12: Tax Protesters, Sovereign Citizens, and Other Wackiness →

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We kick off a brand new season of our podcast with an episode devoted to the member of the Supreme Court bench who has garnered by far the most headlines since our last episode. That’s right, it’s the slavish fangirl edition of Amicus, in which we cave to the pressure of our listeners and fête the woman who had the temerity to call Donald Trump a “faker” this past July.  Joining us to discuss the cultural phenomenon that is Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is MSNBC national reporter Irin Carmon, co-author of the bestselling biography Notorious RBG: The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. We also hear from Cooper Sirwatka, a New York attorney and proud wearer of a full-color RBG tattoo. 

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Transcripts of Amicus are available to Slate Plus members. Consider signing up today! Members get bonus segments, exclusive member-only podcasts,

and more. Sign up for a free trial today here. 

Please let us know what you think of Amicus. Our email is amicus@slate.com. 

Podcast production by Tony Field.

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In this week’s hour-length episode, we finally conclude our three-part discussion of abortion and defending the jurisprudence behind the Supreme Court’s 1973 opinion in Roe v. Wade… only to leave you with another cliffhanger and a topic for a future show.  (Bingo!) Also, given our Patreon support, we’ll now be answering a viewer question every episode!  In … Continue reading OA11: Abortion, Roe v. Wade, and the Constitution, Part 3 →

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Our discussion of abortion continues as we walk through the Supreme Court’s opinion in Roe v. Wade and its aftermath. In our first segment, “Closed Arguments” continues with a look at whether you should call your law professor by her first name.  (No.  No, you should not.)  And in our closing segment, we answer a question … Continue reading OA10: Abortion, Roe v. Wade, and the Constitution, Part 2 →

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In Episodes 7 and 8, we discussed a recent decision by a federal court in Missouri dismissing a lawsuit brought by the Satanic Temple challenging certain Missouri laws that arguably restrict abortion rights.  In this episode, we take a step back and look at the right to abortion itself and the sometimes-controversial Supreme Court decision … Continue reading OA9: Abortion, Roe v. Wade, and the Constitution, Part 1 →

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In this episode, we wrap up the recent decision by the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri dismissing a lawsuit brought by the Satanic Temple challenging several laws relating to getting an abortion in Missouri.  Andrew tells you what “motions to dismiss” are, and Thomas proves that he knows more about the … Continue reading OA8: You Won’t Have the Satanic Temple to Kick Around Any More, Part 2 →

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